Earphone socket structure



July 1, 1 947. P. s'. VENEKLASEN 2,423,355 I EARPHONE SOCKET STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 26, 1945 Inventm; Paul 5. I/eneK Z asen Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARPHONE SOCKET STRUCTURE F 'Paul S.Veneklasen, Saugus, Mass. ,assignor to United States of America, as represented by the Executive Secretary of the Ofl'ice of Scientific Research and Development Application December 26, 1945, Serial No. 637,192

This invention relates to communications equipment and more particularly to'an earphone socket for use with headbands, aviation helmets and the like.

' An'object of the invention is to improve receiver sockets and to devise a resilient supporting body which is adapted to overlie the outer ear and to be maintained firmly against the side of the head without discomfort. Another object of the invention is to provide means in an earphone socket for furnishing acoustic insulation. Another object of the invention is to provide a design of earphone socket which provide for acoustic sensitivity, and which conforms to the shape of the head at points immediately surrounding the ear.' Stillanother object is an earphone'socket which is simple, easily installed and removed, and readily manufactured by conventional molding processes. Other objects will appear from the following description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a felt member to be employed in an earphone socket;

Fig. 2 is a symmetrical central cross-sectional view of the felt member;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section illustrating the felt member inserted in an earphone socket;

Fig.4 is a side elevational view illustrating a ring member for supporting an earphone socket;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the rin member shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is another side view of the ring member; and

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating in dotted lines an earphone socket shaped in a manner determined by the ring member.

In an earlier application I have described a novel type of earphone socket. The present invention is concerned with means for improving the earphone socket referred to, and a preferred embodiment of the present invention consists in an adaptation of elements of the present invention to this socket member which will first be described.

The socket as noted in Fig. 3 generally includes a compliant annular body which is characterized by two sides of rubber or rubber-like material, arranged in spaced-apart relation. The sides are connected together and are molded with concentric corrugations which form inner and outer sections respectively of the socket.

The outer section is adapted to be attached to a headband or other headgear by means of a ring member recessed therein. Pressure is applied through the ring member to hold the outer 3 Claims. (Cl. 179 -179) these edges.

- 2 section firmly against the head. The inner section of the socket surrounds and grips a receiver and is connected to the outer section by relatively flexible web portions which permit the receiver to bereadily displaced in directions either axially or angularly with respect-to the outer section. Considering the drawings in greater detail, numeral l0 denotes a receiver of some convenient type which is held, in the socket member inthe manner illustratedin Fig. 3. The receiver is easily inserted and removed by stretching the retaining edges of the socket and forcing the earphone Ill through the openings defined by If desired, various other means of engaging the sides of the socket may be utilized. The two sides appearing as upper and lower sides respectively of the socket shown in Fig. 3 comprise a continuous body of resilient material such as rubber, neoprene, or similar substances,

doubled over upon themselves with the doubledover portions being arranged in spaced-apart relation. The upper side of the material, as viewed in Fig. 3, is characterized by a relatively thick body portion l2, which sreves both to receive a ring member [4 in a channel l6 and to furnish an appreciable mass for acoustic insulation along this region of the socket. The ring member I4 is adapted to be attached to a yoke portion of a headband or other headgear. The yoke may, for example, be formed with pins or other means for engaging with the ring l4, and as this structure forms no part of the present invention, it has been omitted from the drawings.

At points between the ring l4 and the retaining edge of the upper side, the socket member has been corrugated to form a relatively thin annular web portion l8, which is of a generally curved or rolled edge type of construction. The web portion l8, due to this rolled edge construction and the resilience of the socket material, functions to permit displacement of the receiver ID in various directions as for example axially with respect to the ring M or angularly with respect to this member.

The lower side of the socket material, as viewed in Fig. 3, is also corrugated to provide an outer rolled edge 20 and an inner rolled edge 24, connected by a thin curved web portion 23. The web portion 23 functions in the same manner as web l8 to permit displacement of the receiver l0 relative to the outer rolled edge 20. There is thus obtained an outer socket section and an inner socket section, flexibly coupled together by means of the two web portions in such a way that one of the sections may be displaced in various directions with respect to the other section.

In accordance with the present invention, an annular felt pad member 26, having its central portion cut away (Fig. 1), is inserted in the eartion. This feature together with other desirable attributes of the earphone socket provide a highly eflicient member for supporting earphones.

Still another form of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, consisting of a ring member 28 which is adapted to take the place of the ring member l4 shown in Fig' 3. The ring member 28, in accordance with the invention, is warped in a manner illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. When the earphone socket illustrated in Fig. 3 is snapped into engagement with the warped ring member, the socket itself assumes a cu ved position such a illustrated in Fig. 7, which is particularly adapted to enable the socket member to conform to the areas of the skull immediately surrounding the ear, thus providing for comfort and efficient sealing of the earphone socket at all Points.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: V.

1. An earphone socket comprising a compliant sheet material doubled over upon itself, said doubled-over portions being arranged in spaced-apart relation to form inner and outer sides of the socket, said doubled-over portions further being formed with concentric corrugations which provide an outer sealing rim and an inner sealing rim, said corrugated portions defining air spaces which function as acoustic filtering means when the earphone socket is engaged about an ear.

2. An earphone socket comprising an outer sealing section formed with a rolled sealing edge, an inner section for supporting a receiver, said inner section being connected in spaced relation 'to the outer section by a, flexible coupling, and

ring-shaped pad means inserted between the said inner and outer sections for the purpose of noise attenuation.

3. An earphone socket comprising an outer sealing section formed with a rolled sealing edge of normally cylindrical shape, an inner section of cylindrical shape for supporting a, receiver, said inner section being connected in spaced relation to the outer section by a flexible coupling, ring means surrounding the outer periphery of the socket, said ring means being warped to provide irregular sealing surfaces in the said socket when the latter is engaged within the said ring means.

7 PAUL S. VENEKLASEN.

REFERENCES CITED ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 2,408,494 Veneklasen u, Oct. 1, 1946 

